1. Know the difference
between the types of gown retailers. There are many different places
to purchase bridesmaid dresses, and the trick is knowing what you can expect
from each type. Always keep in mind that you get what you pay for.
Think of it in terms of how your purchase your everyday clothes. If you
shop a little boutique, you will pay a higher price, but you will (hopefully)
get exceptional customer service, because they are a small business and their
reputation is on the line. If you shop at large chain retailers you might
score a great deal but won’t get a whole lot of insight from sales personnel,
and if something goes wrong they will be less likely to help you out.
Think about what is most important to you- either getting a great bargain or
getting great customer service and go from there. Buying online can be
great too but is also tricky because you have even less of a chance of someone
helping you if something is wrong.
2. Research boutiques in
a widespread area. Just because there is a boutique five
minutes away from your house, doesn’t mean it is the right one for you. Research
online for boutiques within a ten to twenty mile radius and find ones that fit
they type of store you are looking to buy at. Trust me, it is so worth it
to travel a little farther away in order to get what you want and have a great
experience!
3. Always always always
make appointments.
You will have a better overall experience when you make an appointment, rather
than just walking in to a shop. Even if you only call a few hours ahead
of time, it will give the salon a chance to prepare for your visit. When
a salon knows you are coming, they will have a consultant and a fitting room
waiting for you.
4. Avoid weekends
if possible. For obvious reasons, weekends are the busiest days for
bridal salons. Even if you make an appointment ahead of time, your girls may
still have to share the 3-way mirror with other brides and that can be
frustrating. Do yourself and your sanity a favor and try to go during the
week when it’s way less chaotic and overwhelming. Tuesdays are typically
the slowest days of the week and many shops have one or two late nights during
the week to accommodate the “after work crowd”.
5. Look at dresses ahead
of time.
I can’t tell you how many brides I’ve worked with who came into their first
appointment having zero idea as to what kind of dresses they wanted. I’m
not saying you need to come in knowing exactly what you want, but at least have
some clue about what type of message you want to send. Are you going for
a modern, sophisticated vibe? Something bright and summery? Look
through magazines and websites like The Knot and Brides and tear or print out
pictures that catch your eye.
6. Know your girls’
budgets.
Hopefully your consultant will ask you what you’re looking to spend at
the beginning of your appointment, but if they forget make sure you tell
them. The average bridesmaid dress costs
between $180 and $200, but there are many options outside of that range as
well. Know that there is a difference
between a $120 dress and one that costs $250, some being construction quality, fabric
quality, embellishments, fit, length (longer style are typically more money
because they require more fabric). There
are pros and cons to every price point and the trick is knowing what is most
important to you.
7.
Don’t
take everyone with you to look at styles the first time around. Setting a bunch of girls loose in a bridal
shop to can turn into chaos really quickly and become really overwhelming when
they all fall in love with completely different dresses. You’ll stay much more relaxed if you only
take your maid of honor out looking the first time. Once the two of you narrow down the choices
to a few styles, then bring the rest of the girls back and get their
opinions.
8.
Don’t judge styles on the
hanger. Just because a gown looks amazing on
the hanger doesn’t mean it will look amazing on your girls. On the other
hand, a gown that looks horrible on the hanger may look stunning on! Be bold in
the choices you choose to have them try on, the worst that can happen is you
find out what you don’t like (which is actually very beneficial anyway). The key is to have them try on a variety of silhouettes
(mermaid, a-line, sheath, a-line etc), necklines,
and fabrics
to pinpoint exactly what you like and dislike.
9.
Know
what colors will work. The
other hardest part of maids dress shopping is choosing a color. It is tough trying to find a color that a)
looks good on every girl, b) fits with your wedding theme, and c) you actually
like. Some universally flattering colors
are navy, eggplant, red, and rose.
Yellow and champagne are two of the hardest colors to wear, so you may want
to reconsider and incorporate them into your flowers instead.
10. Know your girls different body
types. The
biggest trick when picking a maids dress style is finding something that will
flatter everyone. Chances are, you don’t
have a bridal party full of size 2’s, and therefore have your work cut out for
you. Typically, halters are flattering
on most everyone because they provide support for busty girls and create the
illusion of a fuller bust on those with not much there. Strapless are a fine option too, as long as
they are fitted correctly. A-line styles
are also a safe bet because they camouflage a multitude of sins, but be careful
because a-lines that are too full can overwhelm short girls.
11. Don’t worry if you have girls who
live out of town. If
I had to guess, I’d say 80% of wedding parties have at least one girl who lives
out of town. The most important thing is
don’t have them order their dress from a store near them. Even though it seems more convenient, dresses
that aren’t ordered together have the risk of coming from different dye lots, meaning
the color of their dress could be different than the rest of your girls. It is easy to have them order from the same
shop as the rest of your girls. Have
them get measured by someone professional- a cleaners or another bridal shop
will usually do it- and then have them call in their measurements and payment
over the phone. Once the dress comes in
just ship it to them (it usually costs under $10), or sometimes the bridal
shops will even ship them for you.
12. Be specific on the length of
non-floor length dresses.
If you are going with a non-floor length style, make sure you specify to
the girls where you want the length to hit when they go for alterations. It will look funny if some girls have it
above the knee (cocktail length), below the knee (tea length), and ankle length
(ballet length), but this is a possibility when all you say is “I want them to
be short”.
13. Ask about financing
options.
Most shops don’t require the full amount on the day you purchase. They
usually want half down and the rest when the dresses come in, but some will even
work with you on a payment plan.
14. Ask about
alterations.
They are almost never included and it is good to know ahead of time how much
they will cost. Most chain and large retailers charge a flat rate,
meaning regardless of if you need just a hem or a complete overhaul it will
cost you the same amount. It is usually a much better deal if the
seamstress charges for each alteration. Typically most bridesmaids will
need at least some alterations done to their dresses in order for it to fit
correctly. Plan on them spending between $15 to $100 for alterations, and
take this into consideration when choosing a price point for the dresses.
Also, know that just because you purchase a dress somewhere doesn’t mean they
have to be the ones who alter it. Research seamstresses in your area and
find out pricing. However, it is very important to choose someone who
knows what they are doing. I’ve seen the disasters that occur when an
inexperienced person gets a hold of a dress and it’s not pretty.
15. Ask
about hidden fees. Many times the price tag you
see on the gown is not the price you will actually pay, especially if it seems
oddly low. Shops will try and sneak in charges such as shipping (to cover
manufacturer to retailer shipping costs, usually around $20), storage fees, a
fee to press your gown etc. Always ask them to break down the final cost
for you, and you may be able to save your girls some money.
16. Don’t
worry about the size. No, your girls didn't
gain 20 lbs. when they walked in the door of the bridal salon, maids dress sizes
just run super small. Typically, maids dresses will be at least 1 or
2 sizes bigger than what they normally wear, sometimes more depending on their
proportions. It is very important to order the correct size, even if they
swear that they are going to lose those last 15 lbs by your wedding day.
Keep in mind that dresses can always be taken in (several sizes if necessary),
so if they do lose the weight, it won’t be a problem. What will be a
problem, however, is if they insist on ordering the smaller size they hope to
be and then the dress comes in and doesn't fit. Dresses can always be
made smaller but can rarely be made larger. Don't let the number on the
tag mess with their heads, just focus on how fabulous you are all going to look
in a dresses that fit perfectly.
17.Order early. Dresses take up to 14 weeks to come in, so do yourself and your girls a
favor and order at least 5 months before you wedding. Otherwise you may be
required to pay a rush fee, may not have time to have them altered, and wont have
have time to fix any potential mistakes.
Have questions or other tips for maids dress shopping? Add them in the comments sections below!! Good luck!
-Alessandra
.jpg)
